32 



INDIAN WOMEN. 



vices and his dinner for the day, it is quite likely that he is pre- 

 pared to creep into a hovel or shelter with his family, where they 

 may sleep off the debauch that universally finishes these ecclesias- 

 tical functions. Similar wild indulgences are permitted among 

 them at marriages, baptisms and interments, and in consequence of 

 this thriftlessness, these miserable wretches are never able either to 

 leave property to their offspring or to afford them an education by 

 which they may improve their lot in life. 



The Indian woman is the true and faithful companion of her 

 husband's fortunes. She works incessantly at her appropriate 

 tasks. She grinds the corn for the tortillias and atole of the family, 

 and carries them to her husband wherever he is at work ; she 

 weaves, in her rude manner, all the materials of cotton or wool that 

 are worn by her household ; she makes the garments of her spouse 

 and children ; she keeps the domestic premises in order without 

 an assistant; nor does she cease, for a moment, to nourish and 

 watch her offspring during their infancy. If her husband departs 

 to another district, or is enlisted as a soldier, she straps her pack 

 and her youngest child on her back, and accompanies her liege 

 lord, whilst a train of their mutual descendants, " small by degrees 

 and beautifully less, " follows in their rear. 



We have said that the Indians are frugal in their food and eco- 

 nomical in their dress, for in reality, their meals commonly consist 

 only of cereal products, and, especially, of corn. Atole, tortillias, 

 Chili peppers and frijoles, are sufficient to support them. They do 

 not eat flesh habitually, and yet they are healthy and robust, nor is 

 it extraordinary to see individuals among them who attain the ad- 

 vanced age of more than of ninety years. 



Their occasional indulgence in drunkenness, disgusting and inju- 

 rious as it is at the moment, does not generally destroy the consti- 

 tutions of these hardy laborers, whose subsequent compulsory tem- 

 perance, not only in drink but in food, soon repairs the momentary 

 inroads of a day's debauch. 



The dress of both men and women is the simplest and the 

 cheapest possible. In the state of ignorance and abjection in 

 which this race has been so long held, it is not easy to conceive 

 whether their intellectual faculties might be again aroused. In 

 some of the colleges of Mexico, individuals have applied them- 

 selves with great care, have received classical educations, and 

 made remarkable progress even in the sciences, in some of which 

 they excelled. But generally speaking, these instances may be 

 regarded as remarkable exceptions. The Indian, as we have 



